i 


ORMAL  SCHOOL, 


THE  PROFESSIONAL 


BY  BROin.  J.  BENG-EL, 


OF  THE 


THE 


PROFESSIONAL  EDO  CATION  OF  TEACHERS. 


DELIVERED  BEFORE 


OF  THE 


STATE  NORMAL  SCHOOL, 


BY 


At  Ypsilanti,  March  1st,  1870. 


'’‘'jrhe  most  crjnng  want  of  this  commoswealth  is  that  of  accomplisho.i 
^Yithollt  .good  teachers  a  school  is  but  a  name.” — Dr.  Chau- 

■'uiug. 


I 


AT  TIIS  REQUEST  OF  THE  LYCEU^Ts 


I 


®  '9 


Peof.  Bengel  : — 


Ypsilanti,  May  30,  1870. 


Dear  Sir, 

Please  allow  me  to  inform  you  that,  at  a" 
regular  meeting  of  the  State  Normal  Lyceum,  held  on  May  21st,  1870, 
you  were  requested,  by  a  vote  of  the  Lyceum,  to  allow  your  lecture  enti¬ 
tled  :  “The  Professional  Education  of  Teachers”  delivered  before  said 
Society  on  Tuesday  Evening,  March  1st,  1870,  to  be  published. — Ho¬ 
ping  that  you  will  comply  with  the  request.  ^ 

I  rciTuiin  vours  &c. 

%  - 

THOMAS  F.  SHIELDS, 

*  JPrefiiuv/a  ^cata  Normal  Lyceum, 


Ypsilanti,  June  4th,  1870» 


Mr.  ThOMAS  F.  Shields, 

Prcsideut  of  Normal  Lyceum. 
Dear  Sir  : 


Believing  as  I  do,  that  a  thorough 
Philosophy  of  Education,  in  connection  with  a  respectable  amount  of  ac¬ 
ademic  knowledge,  is  most  necessary  for  the  successful  teacher,  and  as  I 
intended  to  advocate  the  necessity  of  these  requirements  in  this  Address, 
I  cheerfully  comply  with  your  kind  request. 

Yours,  truly. 


J.  BENGEL. 


THE  PROFESSIONAL  EDUCATION  OF  TEACHERS 


Ladies  and  Oentlemcn : 

III  addressing  the  members  of  the  Normal  Lyceum, 
we  speak  as  it  were,  to  the  Students  of  the  Normal  School 
of  TO-DAY,  and  to  tlie  Teachers  of  the  Schools  of  our  State 
of  to-:morkow.  Indeed,  after  a  lapse  of  but  a  few  days  you 
will  be  required  to  give  evidence,  whether  your  profes* 
sional  education  is  of  such  a  nature,  as  to  secure  success 
or  failure  in  your  important  calling. 

If  we  would  be  successful  in  the  treatment  of  our  top¬ 
ic  for  the  evening,  could  we  have  possibly  selected  a  theme 
more  interesting  for  the  future  Teacher?  Could  there  be 
.a  topic  of  more  importance  for  any  man,  in  any  profession 
than  the  one,  which  treats  upon  the  requirements  which 
secure  for  him  success  in  his  self-chosen  profession  ?  Is 
there  any  thing  of  more  importance  to  the  Doctor  or 
Lawyer,  than  the  knowledge  of  those  prerequisites  which 
will  enable  them  to  become  successful  in  their  profession  ? 
So,  for  the  thinking  ambitious  teacher — for  the  teacher  who 
does  not  like  a  hireling  work  for  his  pay  only — for  the 
teacher, wlio  does  not  mean  to  be  simply  a  machine  in  his  pro¬ 
fession,  but  who  means  to  work  with  consciousness,  i.  e., 
with  the  knowledge  of  the,  “’What  ?’^  the  “Why?”  and  the 
“How?”  in  each  step — for  the  true  teacher,  there  can  be 
no  picture  of  more  interest,  than  the  one  which  gives  him 
a  clear  idea  of  the  teacher  as  he  should  be. 

In  attempting  to  place  before  you,  in  the  mirror  of  truth 
tlie  picture  of  “a  true  teacher,”  duty  will  compel  us  to 
speak  of  errors  and  deficiencies,  of  inadequate  conceptions 
now  entertained  of  the  true  ofiice  and  mission  of  a  teacher. 
This  is  an  unpleasant  task,  but  we  feel  sure  we  will  not 
be  misunderstood  as  to  our  motive.  One  of  the  most  wide- 


4 


/ 


spread,  and  as  we  believe  most  erroneous  conceptions  o5 
the  oftice  of  a  teacher  is  tlie  idea,  that  the  possession  of 
mere  academic  knowledge  is  a  sufficient  qualification  for 
a  sound  activity  in  the  school  room.  It  is  true,  a  respec¬ 
table  amount  of  academic  knowledge  is  a  most  necessary 
part  of  a  teacher’s  education.  It  furnishes  him  the  mate- 
JUAL,  the  ‘‘What,”  for  teaching.  We  cannot  get  wa¬ 
ter  from  a  diy  well,  and  we  cannot  get  knowledge  from  a 
teacher  who  does  not  possess  it;  he  is  like  a  dry  Vv^ell.  But 
ncademical  acquirements  only,  do  not  yet  qualify  for  suc¬ 
cessful  teaching.  A  knowledge  of  Grammar,  Penmanship, 
Singing,  Eeading,  Mathematics,  Geography,  etc.,,  does  not 
yet  include  the  practical  skill  of  imparting  these  branches  to 
our  children.  The  teacher  must  also  knoAV  hoav  to  impart 
these  branches  in  harmony  with  the  nature  of  his  pupils,  as 
well  as  in  conformity  with  the  peculiarity  of  each  one  of  these- 
branches.  These  branches  must  be  taught,  in  such  a  man¬ 
ner,  that  by  teaching  them,  the  slumbering  talents  of  the 
infant  mind  become  developed,  led,  guided,  directed,  assis¬ 
ted,  strengthened  and  disciplined.  They  must  be  taught, 
with  a  constant  view  to  the  high  aim  of  education  which 
consists  in  a  developement  of  a  free  conscious  sell-activity 
in  every  thing  that  is  good,  true,  and  beautiful.  We  can¬ 
not  give  our  pupils  council  and  advice  now  to  act  in  every 
case  which  they  may  encounter  in  after  life.  But  if  we,  by 
iuTparting  knowledge  to  them,  teach  them  to  thi3ik,  to  think 
freely  and  independently,  in  other  words,  if  we  make  of 
our  pupils  their  own  successful  self-educators,  then  they 
v/iil  become  successful  members  of  Society,  then  they  will 
select  in  each  case  of  life,  what  is  good  and  proper.  In-  ' 
struction  can,  therefore,  by  no  means  consist  only  in  asking 
<|uestions  from  a  given  text-book.  True  instruction  con¬ 
sists  in  a  systematic  influence  exercised  by  an  educated  per- 
soil  upon  an  uneducated  one,  in  order  that,  first,  the  si  urn-: 
].‘eri!ig  abilities  of  the  latter  become  awakened,  assisted  and 
.-Trerigthened,  and  that,  second,  by  doing  this,  the  pupil  may 

bo  furnished  vrith  practical  useful  knowledge  that  he  will  be 
able  to  work  hereafter  on  his  owH|iinprj;^venient  with  conri- 

i  -  ^ 


o 


dence  and  with  success  himself.  New,  Ladies  &  Gents.,  in 
order  to  exercise  Such  a  systematic  influence,  presupposes-, 
tlie  knowlede:e  of  a  system.  In  order  to  be  able  to  awa- 
ken  the  slumberiim  abilities  of  the  youthful  mind  and  body, 
presupposes  an  accurate  knovrledge  of  those  mental  &  bod- 
ilj’ powers,  and  of  the  means  by  which  these  powers  become 
so  exercised,  that  a  harmonious  develojnment  of  thein  will 
be  the  result.  In  short,  such  an  instruction  presupposes 
an  accurate  knovdedge  of  the  psychological  and  physiologi¬ 
cal  nature  of  Man,  and  of  the  means  bv  yvliich  the  latter 
may  be  so  miided  and  assisted  as  to  be  able  to  walk  himself 

t/  JT? 


upon  that  road  which  leads  towards  his  destination,  with 
confldence  and  witii  success.  For  it  should  neyer  be  for¬ 
gotten,  that  the  true  end  and  aim  of  all  educational  actiyi- 
ty  is  and  must  be,  to  make  out  of  a  man  his  own  conscious 
and  successful  self  educator.  Now,  this  high  and  noble 
aim  of  education  can  and  yviil  neyer, be  reached  by  the  me¬ 
chanical  routine  of  ^text-book  instruction;  nor  by  the  mere 
possession  of  academic  knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  teach¬ 
er.  The  science, which  enables 'the  teacher  to  exercise  sucli 
a  systematic  influence  upon  his  pupils,  as  to  reach  with  a 
reasonable  degree  of  certainty  the  aboye  mentioned  aim 
is,  “the  PuiLOSoPiir  of  Educatiox,  on  Pedagogy,”  which 
science,  by  its  own  nature  presupposes  a  respectable  amount 
of  academic  knowledge.  To  impress  you,  Ladies  and  Gen¬ 
tlemen,  Vvdth  the  importance  of  the  study  of  Tins  science, 
is,  we  confess,  the  object  of  our  address  this  eyeiiing.  This 
science  is  to  the  true  teacher,  what  medicine  is  to  the  Doc¬ 
tor, the  knowledge  of  lavY,  to  the  lawyer,  or  tlie  acquaintance 
withTJieologj'  to  the  minister  of  the  gospel.  That  is  to  say, 
it  is  the  PUOFKS'WONAL  SCJEXGK  of  tlic  teaclici*  in  tlie  strictest 
sense  of  theyrord.  Take  away,  or  omit  Tins  science  from 
the  curriculum  of  the  teaclieFs  education,  ttyou  can  simply 
not  speak  of  a  teachers  profession  at  all.  You  may  speak  of 
individuals,  who  try,  who  attempt,  who  guess,  who  experi¬ 
ment,  imitate  in  the  school-rooni,  but  you  cannot  sjieak  of 
conscious  workers  upon  tlie  field  of  education.  AVe  do  not 
Jiesitate  a  moment  to  say,  that  the  absence,  or  partial  neg  - 


6 


lect  of  this  professional  study,  has  been, or  is  yet  the  great¬ 
est  hindering  cause  in  the  way  of  tlie  formation  of  a  teach¬ 
er’s  profession.  To  the  absence  or  partial  neglect  of  this 
technical  science  we  attribute  most  of  the  failures  in  teach¬ 
ing,  the  many  troubles  with  school-boards,  and  the  many 
and  constant  changes  of  teachers  in  our  schools,  which  can 
only  have  a  most  unhappy  effect  upon  the  welfare  of  the 
scliools.  What  constitutes  the  teacher’s  profession,  if  it  is 
not  the  thorough  knowledge  of  tlie  philosophy  of  education? 
The  mere  possession  of  more  or  less  academical  knowledge 
certain!}^  not.  Tlie  latter  puts  the  teacher  simply  upon  an 
equal  footing  with  every  man  who  claims  to  have  more  or 
less  literary  culture.  Tlie  Lawyer,  the  Doctor,  the  Slinis- 
ter,  the  intelligent  merchant,  etc.,  all  possess  more  or- less 
academic  knowledge,  without  therefore  being  qualified  to 
teach.  If  mere  academic  knowledge  would  qualify  for 
teaching,  then  indeed  it  Vvould  be  a  sound  state  of  affairs, 
if  one  is  this  year  a  clerk,  next  year  a  teacher  ; — one  may 
to-day  be  a  life-insurance  agent,,  to-morrow  he  may  “keep 
school”  as  the  phrase  goes.  .  A  lady  may  be  emploj" ed  at 
one  time  in  a  millinery  shop,  or  in  a  kitchen,  at  another, 
she  may  “keep  school.”  No  !  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  it 
takes  indeed  more  to  be  a  teacher.  Let  us  have  a  high¬ 
er,  a  loftier  conception  of  the  teacher’s  mission  ! 

We  shall  insist  upon  it,  ail  the  real  or  simply  imagi¬ 
nary  defects  in  our  otherwise  so  admirable  school  sys¬ 
tem  may  be  summed  up  in  the  demand :  “  Let  us  have 
professionally  educated  teachers” — “Let  us  have  teachers 
who  understand  the  physiological  and  psychological  nature 
of  their  pupils,  and  the  means  to  develope  this  nature  in 
harmony  with  itself.  Let  us  have  teachers  who  can  teach 
without  a  text-book,  or,  if  they  need,  for  some  branches,  a 
text-book  at  all,  let  the  teacher  stand  above  the  text-book, 
let  him  be  able  to  judge  whether  the  method,  the  course 
of  instruction,  the  language  used  in  it,  is  in  conformity  with  v 
the  nature  and  comprehension  of  their  pupils  on  the  one 
liand,  and  in  harmony  with  the  subject  matter  on  the  other. 
This  constant  and  unhappy  change  of  text-books,  would 


7 


thus  be  avoided.  With  professionally  educated  teachers, 
book  agents  cannot  succeed  in  forcing  upon  them  worth- 
'less  books,  and  making  them  believe  the  snow  looks  black. 
The  professionally  educated  teaclier  examines  every  text¬ 
book  in  the  only  true  light,  in  the  light  which  a  sound  phi¬ 
losophy  of  education  gives  him.  With  this  light  as  his 
guide  he  accepts  or  rejects  a  Book.  A  teacher  wlio  does 
not  understand  this  science  is  a  machine,  he  is  simply  a 
feed,  whicli,  bv  the  wind  of  circumstances,  is  carried  to-dav 
one  way,  to-morrow  another.  Ilis  whole  school  life  is  noth¬ 
ing  else  but  a  succession  of  well  intentioned  errors.  What¬ 


ever  he  does  right,  is  done  so,  simply  by  luck  and  chance. 
He  maj"  be  ever  so  faithful  in  imitating  to  the  very  letter, 
all  he  has  seen  in  the  experimental  school,  but  if  he  finds 
circumstances  difteront  in  his  own  school,  as  thev  most  al- 
.  ways  will  be,  there  lie  stands  like  the  traveller  at  the  cross¬ 
way,  and  does  not  know  which  way  to  turn.  Failure  must 
follow  as  sure  as  the  sun  rises  in  the  morning.  You  must 
pardon  us.  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  for  having  thus  far  spo¬ 
ken  with  a  certain  plainness  and  frankness,  about  the  im¬ 
portance  of  the  philosophy  of  education.  You  must  par¬ 
don  us,  if  we  say  tliat  this  study  has  thus  far  not  yet  re¬ 
ceived  that  degree  of  consideration,  which  is  so  impera¬ 
tively  demanded  by  the  Schools  of  our  State,  by  the 
progress  of  our  times,  and  by  tlie  justness  of  the  popular 
demand,  that  the  workman  should  understand  his  work. 
W  e  might  tell  you  that  in  defending  our  claims  we  arc 
supported  by  the  most  illustrious  educators  of  Europe  as 
well  as  America.  ]\Ien  like  Horace  Mann,  Henry  ]]ar- 
nard,  Dr.  Tappan,  Dr.  J.  ^I.  Gregory,  and  O.  Hosford, 
liave  long  ago  demanded  a  more  strictly  professional  educa¬ 
tion  of  our  teachers. 


But  we  mean  to  enable  you,  to  judge  for  yourselves 
whether  this  professional  study  is  absolutely  necessary  for 
the  true  teacher  or  not.  Permit  us  therefore  to  consider 
this  even  in  or  ;  — . 

Fikst: — In  what  does  this  Phieosoitiy  of  Education 

CONSIST  ? 


8 


Second: — Wjiat  is  the  Diffekencein  the  Education- 

AL  ACTIVITY  BETWEEN  A  FROFES>SIONALLY  EDUCATED  TEACHER, 
AND  THE  TEXT-BOOK  TEACHER? 

Ill  answering  tliis  iirst  question,  namely,  ‘‘In  wliat  does 
this  pliilosopliy  ol  Education  consist?  Permit  uS  to  cast 
iirst,  a  very  short  .glance  upon  the  history  of  education. — 
Tliere  v/as  living  at  the  end  of  tho  last,  and  at  the  begin- 
ing  of  tlie  present  century,  a  man  who  is  by  every  true  ed¬ 
ucator  of  our  time,  most  readily  acknowdedged  to  havo 
been  the  greatest  educational  reformer  of  modern  times.— 
His  name  is,  “Henry  Pestalozzi”  or  more  properly  called, 
"^‘Father  Pestalezzi.’'  History  has  long  ago  recorded  hi 4 
name  among  tlie  greatest  benefactors  of  mankind.  His 
liistory  and  principles  of  education,  ought  to  be  household 
words  wdth  every  teacher.  It  would,  indeed,  afford  us 
great  pleasure  to  make  you  acquainted  wdth  liis  history, 
-and  his  system  of  education,  but  neither  time  nor  space 
will  permit  us  to  do  so.  But  in  order  to  enable  you  to 
form  an  adequate  conception  of  liis  greatness,  suffice  it  to 
say,  that  before  he  appeared  as  the  great  educational  refor* 
mer,  the  schools  of  Germany,  France,  England,  in  fact 
in  w'holo  Europe,  Avere  in  a  most  lamentable  condition. — 
Tlie  educational  world  was  at  that  period,  in  danger  of  ac¬ 
cepting  wdth  too  much  readiness,  the  ])artly  most  errone- 
mis,  partly  most  sublime  pliilcsophy  of  that  great  Erciicli* 
man,  Jean  Jacques  Housseau.  But  as  soon  as  Pcsta- 
lozzi  proclaimed  to  the  wmrld  liis  true  gospel  of  education, 
the  eyes  of  all  educators  vrerc  at  once  uiiceasingly  turned 
toward  Ycerdum,  the  place  of  Pcstalozzi’s  activity.  And  so 
(ireiit  was  the  convincing  force  of  his  principles,  he  Ibund 
liimseif  toon  surrounded  hy  jrapils  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  eager  to  learn  his  principles  and  method  of  teaching. 
And  the  noble  seed  sowm  bv  him  wuis  to  bear  tlie  best  fruit 

in  the  true  interest  of  mankind.  For  eve  may  truly  say  all 
that  is  to-day  found  to  lie  good,  sound,  and  noble  in  tlie 
scliools  of  Germany,  Franco  and  England,  as  vrell  as  iii 
America,  did  emanate  directly  or  indirectly  from  liis  teach¬ 
ing.  Now,  to  this  really  great  and  good  man,  wuis  onco 
])nt  the  cpiestion : 


9 


“What  do  you  consider  the  prerequisites  of  a  successful 
teacher  ?  To  wliich  he  replied :  ‘T  expect  of  a  teacher  to 
he  successful  in  his  work,  no  more  nor  less,  than  I  expect 
from  a  successful  farmer.”  For  this  purpose  the  latter 
must  possess : 

FiRST:-The  necessarj^  physical  and  mental  qualification. 

Second: -He  must  have  a  farm,  the  necessary  stock  and 
seed. 

Third: -He  must  possess  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the 
•nature  of  his  soil^  stock  and  seed. 

Fourth: -He  must  have  acquired  the  practical  skill  and 
dexterity  for  every  kind  of  work  which  a  successful  opera¬ 
tion  of  his  farm  requires. 

If  we  apply  these  requirements  of  the  farmer  as  the  pre¬ 
requisites  the  teacher,  we  have  precisely,  in  what  the 
plilosophy  of  education  does  consist. — Applied,  the  first 
prerequisite  reads  thus: — 

As  well  as  the  farmer  needs  the  necessary  physical  and 
mental  qualification,  so  does  the  teacher. — As  to  the  phys¬ 
ical  qualification,  there  will  certainly  be  no  one  within  the 
•sound  of  our  voice  who  will  not  a^ree  with  us  in  savimr* 
^hat  the  more  tiie  teacher  enjoys  physical  health  and 
strength,  the  more  he  is  fit  for  tlie  proper  discharge  of  his 
duties.  There  may  be  some  defects  in  his  phj^sical  ergani- 
y.ation,  which  may  not  disqualify  him  for  his  work.  But 
there  are  certainly  others,  which  make  him  entirely  unfit 
‘to  1)0  a  good  teacher. 

A  narrow  chested  person,  a  person  with  weak  lungs,  a 
])erson  who  in  all  probability  will  have  the  consumption — 
•a  person  who  is  so  near-sighted,  that  glasses  will  never  ben- 
‘(,‘fit  him;  a  person  who  is  a  stammerer,  etc., — all  these  indi¬ 
viduals  should  never  be  allowed  to  enter  the  teacher’s  pro¬ 
fession.  They  should  not  be  permitted  for  their  own  self¬ 
sake,  as  well  as  in  the  interest  of  the  public.  In  some 
countries  the  new  applicant  for  the  teacher’s  profession,  is 
l)v  law  required,  to  produce  first,  a  testimonial  from  a  reli¬ 
able  physician  as  to  his  physical  fitness.  And,  if  it  is  true. 


10 


what  Doctors  tell  us,  that  mental  labor  taxes  the  physical 
frame  of  man  more  than  manual  labor,  we  think  there  i& 
wisdom  in.  such  a  legal  provision.  As  to  the  mental  quali¬ 
fications  of  the  teacher,  we  not  mean  to  say,  that  he 
must  be  an  extraordinary  genius,  for  these  are  rarely  to  be 
lound  in  any  profession.  Sut  it  a  young  man  or  a  young 
lady,  has  given  clear  evidence  by  his  or  her  previous  study, 
or  by  an  examination  which  is  calculated  to  test  his  or  her 
mental  strength,  that  tiie  latter  is  far  below  mediocrity,  he 
or  she  ought  to  be  advised  not  to  chose  the  vocation  of  a 
teacher.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add  here,  that  a  teacher 
must  be  a  person  of  a  good  sound  mca^al  character.  He 
must  recognize  and  love,  and  be  in  continual  spiritual  in¬ 
tercourse  with  the  Almighty  One,  whom  he  considers  the 
origin  of  all  things  existing.  His  heart  must  be  full  of 
self-sacrificing  love  for  mankind  in  general,  and  for  the 
world  of  children  in  particular.  His  character  must  be  of 
inflexible  firmness  coupled  with  kindness,  in  other  words, 
he  must  be  firm  in  kindness,  and  kind  in  firmness.  He 
must  be  a  strict  lover  of  Justice  and  truth.  Pestalozzi  savs 
ill  this  resoect :  “I  can  excuse  an  awkward  teacher,  even  a 
lazy  one,  but  I  can  not  and  will  not  excuse  one,  who  favors 
the  children  of  the  rich  more  than  those  of  the  poor.  Such 
a  one  is  entirely  unfit  for  the  sanctuary  of  the  school-room!” 
Bear  it  in  mind  for  vour  whole  life  as  teachers:  Firmness 
based  upon  strict  justice  creates  respect,  love  and  confidence. 
Injustice  towards  these  little  ones,  creates  a  hatred,  a  de¬ 
served  contempt,  which  swiftly  fieetiug  time  never  will 
eflace. 


The  second  prerequisite  of  the  farmer  applied  to  the 
teacher  reads  thus  :  ‘‘As  well  as  the  farmer  needs  a  farm, 
the  necessary  stock  and  seed,  so  the  teacher  needs  a  school ; 
which  he  must  know  how  to  organize ;  so  he  needs  the  ne¬ 
cessary  apparatus  which  he  must  know  how  to  use ;  and  in 
a  like  manner  he  must  have  academic  knowledge  of  which 
he  must  know  how  to  impart  to  his  pupils.  We  consider 
the  school  and  the  apparatus  as  a  matter  of  course.  But 
as  to  his  academic  knowledge,  (the  seed  of  the  teacher,)  the 


11 


question  may  be  raised :  “How  much  of  it  is  necessary  for 
the  teacher  to  possess  ?”  Must  he  be  an  Agassiz  in  natu¬ 
ral  sciences?  Must  he  be  a  Bancroft  in  History?  A  Keppler 
i  n  Mathematics  ?  A  Liebig  in  Chemistry?  Or  must  he 
even  be  an  Alexander  von  Humbold  with  his  tr.ulj^  wonder¬ 
ful  knowledge  of  every  thing  ?  Certainly  not  I  These 
men  are  actually  ahead  of  their  time;  they  are  the  pioneers 
in  Science.  Their  work  gives  form,  shape  and  character 
to  the  FUTURE.  The  teacher’s  work  is  for  the  present* 
Hence  he  must  have  just  so  much  knowledge  as  enables 
him  to  stand  firmly  upon  the  operative  culture  of  the  pres¬ 
ent  time.  By  this  present  operative  culture  we  mean  that 
kind,  and  that  degree,  of  moral  and  intellectual  eulture, 
which  a  nation  possesses,  as  an  acquired  property  at  a  giv¬ 
en  time,  and  of  which  it  is  conscious  as  being  a  sure  foun¬ 
dation  for  further  progress.  The  teacher  must  be  well  in¬ 
formed  in  every  thing  that  the  operative  culture  of  the  pres- 
sent  demands  for  a  clear  understanding  of  the  present  time. 
Permit  us  to  use  an  illustration.  Imagine,  if  you  please, 
the  form  of  a  pyramid,  being  divided  into  a  higher,  mid¬ 
dle,  and  lower  department.  In  the  higher  department 
are  those  previously  mentioned  pioneers  of  science.  In  the 
lower  department  are  the  pupils,  that  is  to  say,  the  mass 
of  all  those,  to  be  instructed.  Now,  the  true  position  of 
the  teacher  is  precisely  in  the  middle  department  There 
he  stands ;  and  he  must  liave  academic  knowledge  enough, 
to  extend  one  hand  upwards,  able  to  receive,  and  with  the 
other  extended  downwards,  he  must  be  able  to  give  what 
he  has  received  above,  in  n  popular,  easily  comprehensive 
form.  In  other  words:  “Every  thing  that,  (after  years  of  la-' 
bor  and  studj',)  is  discovered  and  produced  in  these  high¬ 
est  regions  of  science  and  art,  and  is  considered  to  be  wor¬ 
thy  to  become  the  common  property  of  every  body,  this 
tJie  teacher  must  be  able  to  understand  and  impart,  in  a 
popular  form  to  all  those,  to  be  instructed.  As  a  matter 

of  course,  the  teacher  is  the  more  competent  for  his  work, 
fclie  nearer  he  takes  his  position  towards  the  upper  part  of 


12 


tliat  pyramid,  and  diminishes  his  usefulness,  the  more  dis¬ 
tant  he  is  from  it.  Every  teacher  ought  to  know  vastly 
more  than  he  is  required  to  teach,  so  that  he  may  be  fur¬ 
nished  on  every  subject  with  a  variety  of  illustrations,  in¬ 
structive  narrations,  proper  quotations,  numerous  exam¬ 
ples,  and  models  of  every  kind,  for  the  better  undcTS-tand- 
ing  and  application. 

The  third  prerequisite  for  the  farmer,  philosophically  ap¬ 
plied  to  the  teacher,  reads  thus : — As  well  as  the  farmer 
must  possess  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  his 
soil,  stock,  and  seed,  so  must  the  teacher  possess  an  accu¬ 
rate  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  man,  (for  this  is  the  soil 
he  works  upon,)  of  the  means  of  education,  and  of  the 
branches  he  intends  to  impart.  Or,  in  other  words:  As 
well  as  a  farmer  who  does  not  possess  an  accurate  knowl¬ 
edge  of  his  soil,  stock  and  seed,  may  in  consequence  of  his 
ignorance  of  these  things,  put  for  instance  seed,  which  by 
its  verv  nature  demands  a  sandv  ground,  into  a  clav  soil, 
or  may  do  in  the  spring,  something  that  would  be  better 
done  in  the  fall,  or  may  plough  only  the  surface,  where 
deep  ploughing  is  needed,  etc.,  will  thus  make  out  of  his  ' 
labor  a  complete  failure,  precisely  so  may  a  teacher,  who 
does  not  know  the  nature  of  his  pupils,  who  supposes  a 
child  to  have  but  one  tendency,  but  one  adaptation,  when 
he  has  many  ; — who  treats  a  child  as  though  his  nature 
^vere  wholly  animal,  or  wholly  intellectual,  or  wholly  mor¬ 
al  ; — who  introduces  a  kind  of  knowledo-e  in  the  early 
warm  days  of  spring,  when  the  child  is  wholly  unable  to 
comprehend  it,  and  which  should  be  properly  taught  in  the 
riper  days  of  fall  as  it  were ; — such  a  teacher  may  and 
does  disfigure  the  nature  of  that  child,  and  wrenches  his 
Avhole  structure  into  deformity.  Thus  a  thorough  acquain¬ 
tance  with  the  nature  of  man  is  an  indispensible  acquire¬ 
ment  for  the  teacher.  Now  the  nature  of  man  is  two-foJd. 
Instruction  regarding  his  bodily  or  physiological  organiza¬ 
tion  is  called  physiology.  Instruction  respecting  the  pow¬ 
ers  or  talents  of  mind,  in  regard  to  their  respective  impor¬ 
tance,  their  relation  to  one  another,  the  time  of  the  proper 


13 


developement  of  each,  in  short,  an  instruction  in  thoresiilts- 
of  a  CLOSE  OBSERVATION  of  the  intellectual  manifestation 
during  the  developement  of  man,  is  called  psychology, 
as  far  as  it  is  applicable  to  the  purposes  of  the  philosophy 
of  education.  As  to  physiology,  we  do  not  mean  to  say, 
that  the  teacher’s  knowledge  should  be  as  specific,  as 
detailed,  as  that  of  the  Doctor.  But  he  should  know 
enough  of  it,  to  be  competent  to  have  some  care  of  the 
health  of  his  pupils,  he  should  be  acquainted  with,  and  be 
able  to  impart  some  of  the  leading  conditions  upon  which 
health  and  life  depend.  He  should  be  able  to  inculcate  a 
knowledge  as  to  the  principal  parts  of  the  body,  at  least  as 
to  place  and  name; — he  should  be  able  to  explain  the  pro¬ 
cesses  of  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  and  the  alimentation 
of  food.  He  should  be  acquainted  with  the  changes  ta 
which  the  p^oice  is  subject  in  certain  periods,  so  as  not 
to  strain  it  to  a  hurtful  extent,  if  he  is  a  singing  teacher, 
or  an  elocutionist,  etc.  In  short,  the  teacher  should  pos¬ 
sess  at  least  as  much  physiological  knowledge  as  any  one, 
who  can  claim  to  have  a  literary  culture.  Of  much  more 
importance  than  physiology  is  however  psychology,  to  the 
teacher.  This  science  contains  as  it  were,  his  very  articles 
of  faith.  Any  one,  who  means  to  elevate  himself  above 
the  common  mechanical  routine  of  text-book  teaching, 
must  have  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  mental  powers  of 
his  pupils.  For  to  awaken,  to  assist,  to  lead,  to  guide,  to 
discipline  these  powers  to  wholesome,  independent,  self-ac¬ 
tivity,  is,  as  has  been  remarked,  one  of  the  principal  pur¬ 
poses  of  instruction.  But  how  can  we  lead,  guide,  assist, 
and  discipline  something  the  nature  of  which  we  do  not 
understand  ?  On  account  of  the  importance  of  this  study 
we  propose  to  devote  to  it  a  few  lines,  after  we  have  fully 
answered  the  question :  In  wdiat  docs  tlie  philosophy  of 
education  consist? — We  have  thus  far  shown  that  the  far¬ 
mer  must  know  the  nature  of  his  soil,  and  the  teacher  must 
know  the  nature  of  man.  But  as  well  as  the  farmer  needs 
also  to  understand  the  nature  of  Ins  stock  and  seed,  so  must 
the  latter  also  know  the  nature  of  tlie  means  of  education 


14 


in  general.  Or,  in  otlier  Avords:  From  the  physical  an  ^ 
jnental  developement  of  man,  i.  e.,  from  the  sciences  of 
physiology  and  psychology,  the  philosopher  has  extracted 
certain  general  rules,  laws  and  principles,  which  must  form 
the  basis  of  all  educational  activity.  The  science  of  these 

%j 

fundamental  rules,  laws  and  principles  is  called  :  “Didac¬ 
tics,”  or  the  general  philosophy  of  education.  In  order  to 
give  you  a  clear  idea  of  this  part  of  the  philosophy  of  ed¬ 
ucation,  let  me  state  here  some  of  the  questions  which  it 
answers.  It  answers  such  questions  as  the  following: — 
What  is  education  in  general  ?  What  is  understood  by 
the  aim,  possibility,  necessity,  beginning,  end,  right,  and 
duty  of  education.  In  what  relation  stands  the  education 
of  the  individual,  to  that  of  mankind  in  general  ?  How, 
when,  and  by  what  means  are  the  powers  of  mind,  such  as 
memory,  judgment,  concept,  imagination,  understanding, 
reasoning,  etc.,  best  developed  ?  How,  and  by  what  means 
are  tlie  senses  best  developed?  How,  and  by  vdiat  means 
are  implanted  into  our  children,  the  virtues  of  obedience, 
of  industry,  of  charity,  of  love  of  truth,  etc.,  and  how 
and  by  what  means  are  the  opposite  vices  checked? — 
What  studies  are  best  calculated  to  develope  each  of  the 
different  powers  of  mind  ?  What  is  understood  by  the  ma¬ 
terial  and  formal  aim  of  instruction  ?  What  are  the  prin¬ 
ciples  which  must  form  the  basis  of  a  good  instruction  ? — 
And  which  principles  form  the  foundation  of  a  good  meth¬ 
od  of  teaching  ?  What  is  the  material,  and  what  the  for¬ 
mal  aim  of  each  of  the  different  branches  of  study  ? — - 
(Permit  us  to  say  here,  that  by  the  formal  aim  of  a  branch 
of  study  is  understood,  the  value  which  it  possesses  for  the 
discipline  of  the  powers  of  the  mind, — by  the  material  aim 
we  understand  the  usefulness  which  such  a  study  contains 
for  practical  life.  In  mathematics,  for  instance,  the  formal 
iiim  would  be,  the  developement  of  an  accurate,  precise, 
ioo^ical  thinkiiior  and  reasoning,  etc. — The  material  aim 
would  be,  the  capability  which  the  pupil  obtains  to  solve 
such  problems  as  practical  life  may  offer  him.  Thus  we 
may  say  briefly  the  formal  aim  gives  formation,  the  mate- 


15 


rial  aim  gives  information  to  the  mind.) — We  may  sum  up 
by  saying  :  Didactics  is  that  part  of  the  philosophy  of  ed¬ 
ucation  wliich  treats  theoretically  upon  every  educational 
activity,  and^kows,  whether  or  not,  such  an  activity  is  in 
harmony  with  the  nature  of  man,  or  whether  it  is  contrary 
to  it. 

But  there  is  an  old  maxim  which  says :  “  Practice  is  the 
true  test  of  a  theory.  Or,  theory  and  practice  must  go 
hand  in  hand.  The  theoretic  principles  of  Didactics  must 
be  applied  to  the  practical  work  in  the  Schoolroom. — 
These  maxims  are  equally  true  with  the  farmer  as  well  as 
the  teacher,  in  tact  with  eveiybody.  Therefore  the  appH- 
(jation  of  Pestalozzi’s  fourth  prerequisite  for  the  farmer  to 
the  teacher’s  work  reads  thus : — 

As  well  as  the  hxrmer  must  possess  the  practical  skill  and 
dexterity  for  every  work  that  successful  farmino;  demands, 
SO  also  must  the  teacher  possess  the  practical  skill  and  dex¬ 
terity  for  every  work  education  requires.  That  fourth  and 
last  part  of  the  philosophy  of  education,  which  enables  the 
teacher  to  do  this,  is  called  ^‘Methodics.” — Methodics  there¬ 
fore  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  practical  and  conscious 
•application  of  the  the  theoretic  prinoiples  taught  in  Didac¬ 
tics.  By  studvincr -Methodics  the  teacher  becomes  practi- 
cally  acquainted  with  the  proper  organization  of  the  differ¬ 
ent  schools,  with  a  sound  discipline  and  government. — 
Here  he  learns  what  is  understood  bv  the  acroamatic,  bv 
beuristic,  by  the  eromatic  and  by  the  catechetic  or  socratie 
form  of  instruction.  Here  he  learns  to  make  a  proper 
course  and  dail}^  table  of  instruction.  Methodics  makes 
him  acquainted,  at  least,  with  one  approved  method  of 
teaching  each  branch  of  study,  and  calls  his  attention  par- 
•ticularly  to  the  harmony  of  such  a  method  with  the  princi- 
]>les  of  Didactics.  And  as  well  as  a  thinking  farmer  often 
improves  an  old  method  of  doing  a  certain  work,  or  rejects 
it  entirely  and  invents  a  new  method,  precisely  so  is  the 
professionally  eduoateJ  teacher  able  to  test  any  juethod  of 
•teaching,  to  improve  it  or  to  discard  it,  even  to  invent  a 
-new  method.  By  doing:  so  he  will  always  be  conscious 


16 


M’lietlier  a  method  is  good  or  bad,  i.  e.,  ^vllether  it  is  in 
co^aformitj  vidtli  the  principles  of  Didactics  or  not.  A 
teacher  tlius  educated  is  in  every  activity  conscious  wheth^ 
er  his  metjiod  of  instruction,  his  course  of  instruction,  his 
explanations,  liis  discipline.  Ids  government,  his  school  or¬ 
ganization,  etc.,  is  in  harmony  with  the  principles  of  Di¬ 
dactics,  and  as  the  latter  are  the  logical  outcome  of  the 
nature  of  man,  he  is  conscious  whether  his  work  is  in 
conformity  with  the  latter,  and  consecpiently  good,  or  con¬ 
trary  to  it,  and  thus  bad.  For  any  instruction  is  according 
•to  Henry  Pestalozzi,  only  good,  if  it  consists  in  the  art  of 
assisting  the  nature  of  man,  in  its  own  struggle  for  devel- 
opeinent.  As  the  Doctor  cannot  give  health  he  can  only 
assist  the  physical  nature  of  man  in  its  attempt  to  help  it¬ 
self,  so  the  teacher  cannot  and  should  not  give  culture ;  he 
only  ought  to  assist  the  mental  nature  of  man  in  its  attempt 
to  develope  itself.  ‘^Man,”  says  H.  Pestalozzi,  ‘imitates 
the  activity  of  nature,  which  from  the  seed  even  of  the 
greatest  tree,  produces  first  but  an  imperceptibly  small 
germ,  but  deveiopes  out  of  this  germ  daily,  hourly,  even 
duriiiir  every  minute  of  time  the  foundation  of  the  stem, 
theiiDf  the  boue-hs,  then  of  the  branches  and  so  forth  un- 
til  the  smallest  t\w;g,  leaves,  and  finally  the  fruit,  is  devel¬ 
oped. 

After  having  thus  applied  the  prerequisites  of  the  suc¬ 
cessful  farmer  to  those  of  the  successful  teacher,  we  are 
now  prepared  to  say  in  a  single  sentence  in  what  the  phi¬ 
losophy  of  education  consists ;  It  consists. 

First. — In  an  instruction  of  the  ph^^sical  and  mental 
developeinent  of  man,  or  in  Physiology  and  Psychology 
as  the  basis  of  the  whole. 

Second. — In  a  theoretic  conrideration  of  everything  be- 
lono-ing  to  education,  based  upon  the  laws  of  the  physical 
and  mental  developeinent  of  man,  or,  upon  Didactics. 

Third. — In  a  practical  application  of  these  Didactical 
tlieories  to  every  work  in  the  school  room,  or  iiiMethodics. 
Tin  Be  four  sciences,  physiology^  psychology,  Didactics  and 


17 


ilethodics  form  an  inseparable  whole  called  the  philosophy 
of  education.  And  as  they  are  logical  oflsprings  from  one 
another  they  should  be  taught  in  the  order  mentioned, 
namely^  physiology  and  psychology  first,  Didactics  second, 
and  Methodics  third.  It  is  evident  that  whoever  teaches 
for  instance  Methods  of  instruction  before  the  other  parts 
are  understood,  attempts  to  build  the  top  of  the  house,  be¬ 
fore  a  proper  foundation  is  laid.  After  having  thus  an¬ 
swered  the  first  question,  permit  us  only  to  add  that  it  seems 
to  us,  if  such  a  philosophy  of  education  is  not  an  absoluti? 
necessity  for  the  teacher,  then  indeed,  the  Doctor  may  get 
along  without  medicine,  and  the  lawyer  may  practice  with¬ 
out  the  knowledge  of  law.  Before  passing  on  to  our  sec¬ 
ond  question,  we  have  promised  above,  that  we  would  de¬ 
vote  a  few  thoughts  to  psychology. 

Psychology,  as  will  have  been  seen,  is,  so  to  speak,  the 
very  foundation  of  the  philosphy  of  education.  The  latter 
is  but  a  practical  application  of  the  former.  But  there  are 
those,  who  say.  Psychology  is  a  hypothetical  science,  it  is 
as  yet  still  in  an  undeveloped  state,  it  is,  as  it  were,  a  sandy 
foundation,  and  consequently  the  building  erected  upon  it, 
i.  e.,  the  philosophy  of  education,  is  a  building  without  a 
solid  foundation.  Such  questions  as :  What  is  the  soul  or 
mind  ?  How  did  the  soul  come  into  the  body  ?  What 
will  become  of  the  soul  or  mind  after  the  body  is  dead  ? — 
Where  is  the  place  where  the  soul  resides  in  the  body  ? — 
All  these  and  similar  questions  psychology  cannot  answer, 
and  consequently,  they  say,  it  is  no  science  at  all.  Now 
we  admit  frankly,  if  the  ^philosphy  of  education  were  bas¬ 
ed  upon  the  answers  of  such  questions  as  these,  it  would 
stand  upon  a  sandy  ground,  it  would  be  a  complete  failure. 
For  these  questions  have  at  all  times,  and  in  all  nations, 
occupied  the  minds  of  the  deepest  thinkers,  w'ithout  being 
definitel}^  answered  to-day.  These  questions  have  given 
rise  to  such  metaphysic  schools  as  the  idealistic,  the  nia  • 
terialistic,  the  schools  of  spiritualists,  and  the  scliool  which, 
is  called  the  real  idealistic  school.  Every  one  of  these 


18 


schools  gives  a  different  answer  to  any  of  the  above  ques¬ 
tions.  And  in  order  to  complete  the  confusion,  theology 
steps  in  and  gives  still  different  answers  to  those  questions. 
But,  fortunately, the  philosophy  of  education  has  nothing  to 
do  with  any  of  these  schools.  Whether  they  were  all  right, 
or  any  of  them,  or  all  wrong,  or  any  of  them,  it  would  not 
effect  the  philosophy  of  education  a  particle.  Whatever 
the  soul  or  mind  may  be  in  its  inscrutable  nature  or  essence 
or  whether  there  be  any  such  thing  as  mind  or  spirit 
at  all,  properly  so-called,  it  matters  for  the  purposes  of  ed- 
cation  nothing  at  all*.  The  philosophy  of  education  con¬ 
siders  body  and  soul  of  man  AS  an  inseperable  unity 

- AS  AN  INDIVISIBLE  WHOLE,  AND  NEVER  INFLUENCES  THE  ONE 

WITHOUT  DUE  CONSIDERATION  FOR  THE  OTHER.  The  philosophy 
of  education  does  simply  what  the  natural  philosopher 
does  in  regard  to  electricity  and  light.  The  latter  does  not 
know  what  the  essence  or  the  inscrutable  nature  of  these 
imponderable  substances  is.  But  from  a  close  observa¬ 
tion  of  their  manifestations,  he  has  extracted  the  Jaws 
which  enable  him  to  speak  with  the  most  remote  people  by 
means  of  electricity,  or  to  calculate  with  mathematical 
accuracy  the  motions  of  the  most  remote  of  the  heavenly 
bodies  by  means  of  light.  So  the  philosophy  of  educa¬ 
tion  watches  and  observes  the  mental  and  physical  mani¬ 
festations  in  the  developement  of  this  inseparable  unity 
called  MAN.  It  finds  that  each  man  is  endowed  by  nature 
with  AN  EQUAL  NUMBER  OF  POWERS  of  mind  and  body,  how¬ 
ever  they  may,  in  different  individuals,  be  ditierent  as  to 
DEGREE  AND  STRENGTH.  Itfinds  that  the  different  powers  of 
mind,  such  as  consciousness,  comparison,  imagination, 
memory,  concept,  judgment  and  reasoning  do  not  devel- 
ope  themselves  at  once,  in  their  full  strength,  but  at  differ¬ 
ent  periods  different  powers  are  predominant,  and  that, 
with  each  one  of  these  periods  of  the  mental  developement, 
a  certain  peculiarity  of  the  bodily  developement  goes  hand 
in  hand.  Hence  psychology,  as  far  as  it  is  the  foundatiou 
of  the  philosophy  of  education,  divides  the  age  of  man 


f 


19 


which  is  assigned  to  systematic  education,  into  the  follow¬ 
ing  FOUR  periods  of  developement.  It  distinguishes,  First, 
A  first  childhood,  from  birth  to  the  end  of  the  tliird  year. 
For  a  lengthy  description  of  any  period  we  have  neither 
time  nor  space.  A  brief  characteristic  of  this  first  period, 
however,  would  be:  The  senses,  particularly  the  higher 
ones,  as  seeing,  hearing  and  feeling,  become  fairly  devel¬ 
oped.  The  child  commences  to  make  its  own  volitions, 
feelings,  and  desires,  the  object  of  reflection,  i.  e.,  self-con¬ 
sciousness  awakes.  The  first  smile  of  the  child  is  its  first 
mental  manifestation.  A  beginning  in  the  developement 
of  language  is  also  made  in  this  period.  The  plij^sical 
developement  in  this  period  is,  particularly  in  the  first  two 
weeks,  so  surprisingly  rapid,  that  a  child,  if  it  would  grow 
in  the  same  proportion  afterward,  would  have  reached  the 
full  ffrown  size  of  man  in  about  from  6  to  8  months.  -  Its 
origiual  hight  at  birth,  which  in  an  average  is  from  16  to 
18  inches,  increases  about  1-12.  Its  original  weight,  from 
6  to  8  pounds,  increases  fully  1-4.  In  other  words,  the 
MERELY  ANIMAL  LIFE  PREDOMINATES  AS  YET,  and  what  is 
strictly  called  ‘‘purely  mental  life”  is  undeveloped  during 
this  period.  But  tlie  second  period,  i.  e.,  the  second  child¬ 
hood,  extending  about  to  the  end  of  the  seventh  year,  clearly 
proves  that  the  superiority  of  man  lies  in  his  mind  and  not 
in  his  body,  and  that  the  latter  is  simply  the  organ  of  the 
former.  This  second  period  is  pre-eminently  the  period 
sensual  intuition.  That  is  to  say,  the  objects  of  the  exterior 
world  exercise  such  an  overwhelming  influence  upon  the 
senses,  and  through  them  upon  the  mind,  that  we  may 
truly  say,  what  the  child  does  not  see,  hear  or  feel,  is  not 
in  existence  at  all.  But  each  sensual  intuition  leaves  an  im¬ 
print  or  a  trace  in  the  mind,  and  it  is  in  this  manner  that 
the  child  furnishes  its  mental  store-house  with  more  or  less 
correct  sensual  concepts  of  colors,  forms,  sizes,  tones  and 
number.  But  in  the  same  proportion  as  the  child  gains 
physically  more  firmness  and  strength,  in  the  same  propor¬ 
tion  increases  also  the  strength  ot  the  mind.  Its  first  sim- 


20 


ply  instinctive  activity  becomes  more  and  more  conscious, 
i  n  all  its  actions  more  intention  and  choice  is  manifested. 
Its  memory  and  recollection  gain  daily  in  extent  and  secur¬ 
ity.  Toward  the  end  of  this  period  we  find  in  general  the 
most  happy  condition  in  the  child’s  mind,  in  an  even  bal¬ 
ance -between  receptivity  and  spontaneity,  or  in  other  words, 
the  inward  activity  of  mind  to  receive  impressions  from 
the  objects  of  the  exterior  world,  is  in  a  state  of  equilibrium 
Avitli  the  other  power  of  mind,  viz.,  to  re-act  upon  these 
objects  of  the  exterior  world  with  volition  and  freedom. 
More  properly  is  this  period  characterized  by  a  certain  wri¬ 
ter  as  the  period  of  the  hobby-horse  for  the  boy,  and  the 
doll  for  the  girl.  As  the  period  of  receiving  most  impres¬ 
sions  from  horses,  dogs,  cats,  roses,  tulips,  trees,  leaves,  etc. 
As  the  time  when  the  childish  imagination  imitates  the 
actions  and  manners  of  older  persons,  i.  e.,  the  boys  play, 
for  instance,  the  general,  or  the  school-master,  and  the 
girls  commence  to  imitate  the  house-wfife,  etc.  Hence  the 
great  importance  of  moral  stories,  and  of  proper  object 
teaching  in  this  period,  or  in  other  words,  of  making  sen¬ 
sual  intuition  the  basis  of  instruction.  The  third  period 
of  education,  called  boyhood,  extends  about  from  the  end 
of  the  seventh  to  the  beginning  of  the  fifteenth  year.  Its 
characteristic  is  in  general  this:  The  mental  activity  be- 
c‘omes  more  and  more  independent  from  the  mere  sensual 
intuition.  Whatsoever  has  been  in  .the  previous  period 
the  object  of  sensual  observation,  becomes  in  this  period 
the  object  of  independent  understanding  and  judgement, 
if  for  instance  fhe  child  in  the  previous  period  has  learned 
the  mere  .name,  eolcr^  size,  etc.,  of  two  cbjects,  it  will  in 
this  period  be  enabled  to  collect  the  distinguishing  features 
between  these  objects  into  the  unity  of -thought,  i.e.,  it  will 
form  independent  ideas,  concepts  and  judgments. 

Thus  the  foundations  of  a  free  independent  thinking,  and 
self-activity,  will  be  laid,  which  is  to  ripen  more  and  more 
into  maturity  in  the  fourth  period  of  developement,  i.  e., 
in  the  age  of  youth.  This  period  extends  to  the  end  of 


21 


the  twenty-fourth  or  twenty-fifth  year.  As  well  as  the 
physical  developement  reaches  in  this  period  the  highest 
degree  of  beauty  and  strength,  in  like  manner  the  mind 
unfolds  during  this  time  its  highest  and  most  important 
powers.  Memory,  Eecollection,  Imagination,  Comparison, 
J udgment,  and  understanding  have  been  developed  in  the 
previous  periods.  But  that  most,  sublime  of  all  powers  of 
the  mind,  that  power  which  distinguishes  man  alone  from 
the  animal  creation,  Beason,  developes  itself  in  all  its  gran¬ 
deur  and  divine  beauty  in  this  period. 

’Tis  Reason  that  our  ^^atnre  graces, 

There  kinch’ed  with  the  skies  Ave  claim, 

Free  in  itself  the  Spirit  traces, 

What  e'er  the  hand  shall  fitl}^  frame. — Schiller. 

It  is  by  the  help  of  reason  that  the  youthful  mind  espies 
the  underlying  laws  of  the  phenomena  of  the  exterior 
world,  and  gains  through  the  knowledge  of  these  laws 
a  complete  mastery  over  the  objects  and  ])henomena  of  his 
God  given  dwelling  place.  Nor  is  this  all.  In  strict  ra¬ 
tio  as  his  knowledge  of  these  laws  has  been  perfect,  or 
imperfect,  his  ideas  and  concepts  of  the  Giver  and  Maker 
of  these  laws,  which  Man  can  only  form  by  the  help  of 
Beason,  are  more  or  less  perfect  or  imperfect.  In  other 
Avords :  The  character  of  the  religion  of  man  always  has 
been,  and  always  necessarily  will,  and  must,  be  in  strict 
proportion  with  his  intellectual  culture.  It  is  during  this 
period,  that  man  forms  his  highest,  loftiest,  and  most  sub¬ 
lime  Ideals  of  every  thing  that  is  good,  true,  and  beau¬ 
tiful.  And  for  the  realization  of  these  Ideals,  the  youthful 
mind  recognizes  no  boundary  or  obstacle.  It  is  during 
this  period,  that  man  becomes  capable  of  executing  the  most 
noble  deeds  patriotism,  or  the  purest  love  for  mankind,  re¬ 
quires.  The  youth,  in  whose  breast  beats  no  heart  of  the 

])urest  love  for  everything  noble  and  elevating,  during  this 
period,  had  better  bury  himself  in  a  cloister,  and  count  the 
beads  of  his  paternoster. 

We  have  given  thus  far  a  very  short  and  imperfect  sketch 
vof  the  characteristic  of  the  four  periods  of  education. — 
A  much  more  profound  knowledge  of  them  is  necessary 


22 


for  the  teacher  to  possess.  But  a  subject  so  extensive  and 
intensive  in  its  nature  cannot  be  exhausted  with  a  few 
])rief  remarks.  But  what  has  been  said  might  suffice  to 
convince  you,  that  the  teaclier  ought  to  be*  thoroughly 
acquainted  witli  the  mental  and  physical  characteristic  of 
each  one  of  these  periods  of  developement,  in  order  that 
he  may  be  able  to  work  in  harmony  with  the  nature  of 
man  and  not  contrarv  to  it.  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  a 

9J  ' 

Doctor  who,  in  consequence  of  his  ignorance  of  the  ph^^si- 
eal  nature  of  man,  commits  a.  serious  blunder  in  an  opera¬ 
tion  of  importance,  is  placed  before  a  Jury,  tried,  and  as 
the  case  may  be,  convicted  of  manslaughter,  as  he  really 
deserves.  But  the  same  judge,  jury  and  public  in  general, 
employ  yearly  tliousands  of  teachers,  whenever  have  giv¬ 
en  an  hour’s  time  to  make  themselves  familiar  with  the 
mental  nature  of  man  upon  which  by  mere  luck  and  chance, 
they  have  the  lx)ldness  to  operate  daily.  Ladies  and 
Gentlemen  have  you  ever  been  in  a  menagerie  or  public 
show  ?  Have  you  ever  learned  there  a  lesson  in  the  pliilos- 
uphy  of  education?  If  you  have  not,  we  have.  We  have 
seen  there  a  monkey  who  knew  all  the  letters  of  the  alpha¬ 
bet.  That  is  to  say,  the  letters  were  largely  printed  upon 
wooden  blocks, and  whenever  they  were  properly  pronoun¬ 
ced  he  made  the  sign  in  the  affirmative,  when  wrongly 
])ronoiinced,  he  shook  his  liead.  We  asked  the  showman 
how  he  succeeded  in  making  the  monkey  do  this.  Upon 
which  he  replied  :  You  must  lirst  exactly  know  the  nature 
of  these  animals.  They  imitate  man  in  every  thing  he 
does,  and  they  have  a  wonderful  memory,  and  upon  this 
knowledge  I  based  my  training.  Now,  if  it  is  necessary 
to  know  first  the  nature  of  performing  monkeys,  horses, 
dogs,  pigs,  elephants,  before  training  them,  etc.,  is  it  not 
criminal  neglect  to  have  thousands  of  teachers  employed 
in  instructing  the  immortal  minds  of  our  children,  without 

having  even  the  slightest  knowledge  of  their  nature  ? — 
Here,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  and  only  heee,  is  the  point 
where  improvements  in  our  school  system  sooner  or  later 
will,  and  must  be  made. 


After  having  thus  stated  what  a  professionally  educated 
teacher  knows  in  advance  of  tlie  text-book  teacher,  we 
may  be  brief  in  answering  our  second  cpiestion  namely: 

Second — What  is  the  diflerence  in  the  educational  ac¬ 
tivity  between  the  two  ? 

«/ 

We  could  answer  this  question  in  short  thus:  The  pro¬ 
fessional  teacher  acts  always  wiTii  consciousness;  the 
other  is,  at  best,  a  mere  mechanical  imitator.  The  former 
works  systematicahy  and  methodically,  with  intention; 
widi  the  feeling  :  I  know  that  my  work  is  successful.” — 
The  latter  works  without  system,  without  a  consciously 
understood  method,  without  intention,  and  in  all  his  ac¬ 
tions  you  can  see  he  is  unconscious  as  to  the  result  of  his 
work,  Horace  llann,  this  great  educator,  contrasts  the 
ditference  between  the  professionally  educated  teacher  and 
the  text-book  teacher,  very  happily  in  the  following  figu¬ 
rative  language.  He  says  :  “  Look  into  the  shops  of  our 

iimenious  artists  and  mechanics,  and  see  their  shinino;  rows 
■of  tools, — hundreds  iii  number, — but  each  one  adapted  to 
some  particular  process  in  their  curious  art.  Look  into  the 
shop  of  an  Indian  mechanic,  and  you  will  find  his  chest  of 
tools  composed  of  a  single  “jack  knife.”  So  with  our  teach¬ 
ers.  The  professionally  -educated  teacher  has  apparatus, 
diagrams,  charte,  models,  anecdotes,  epigrams,  narrations, 
quotations,  an  easily  comprehensive  natural  metliod  and 
language  of  teaching,  with  which  to  illustrates  with  readi¬ 
ness  every  branch  of  study,  and  to  fit  every  variety  of  dis¬ 
position;  while  the  main  resource  of  the  text-book  teacher 
for  all  studies,  for  all  ages  and  for  all  dispositions  is — the 
TEXT-iiOOK  AND  THE  ROD  ! — and  very  often  he  resorts  to 
something  worse  than  either  of  them.  In  order  to  culti¬ 
vate  a  certain  mushroom  popularity  he  sacrifices  every 
principle  not  of  the  philosophy  of  education,  for  tliat  he 
does  not  know,  but  of  mere  common  sense.  He  sacrifices 
often  his  own  manly  or  womanly  dignity.  He  pets.  Hat¬ 
ters,  praises,  accommodates  himself  to  the  whims  of  his 
pupils,  and  particularly  to  those  who  have  rich  and  influen- 


24 


tial  parents,  and  opens  thus  every  door  tor  a  complete  de-- 
moral ization  of  his  school.  How  vastly  difterent  is  the 
work  of  the  professionally  educated  teacher  !  As  well  as 
the  ingenious  sculptor  stands  before  his  raw  block  of  mar¬ 
ble,  the  nature  of  which  lie  perfectly  understands,  with  his 
numerous  tools  in  his  hands,  and  with  the  Ideal  of  a  Ve¬ 
nus  or  an  xlpollo  clear  before  his  mental  eye,  so  stands  the 
true  teacher  day  after  day  before  his  pupils.  The  mental 
and  physical  nature  of  the  latter  is  his  block  of  marble, 
which  he  profoundlj^  understands,  his  tools  are  the  theoret¬ 
ic  principles  of  Didactics  and  his  practical  knowledge,  skill, 
and  dexterity  in  Methodics.  His  Ideal  is  man  developed 
to  a  free,  conscious,  self-activity  in  every  thing  good,  true, 
and  beautiful.  And  there,  he  stands  day  after  day  working 
faithfully  and  perseveringly  in  order  that  his  ideal  or  aim 
of  education  may  become  realized.  And  this  he  does,  praise 
or  no  praise, — applause  or  no  applause, — popularity  or  no 
j^)opularity  !  And  how  does  he  do  it  ?  He  does  it  in  strict 
conformity  with  the  mental  and  physical  nature  of  his  pu¬ 
pils.  Take,  for  instance,  a  class  of  children  from  the  fourth 
to  the  seventh  yeixv,  i.  e.,  in  the  second  childhood.  Now 
his  study  of  ps^^chology  has  giv^en  him  a  clear  picture  of 


the  powers  of  mind  which  should  naturally  become  devel¬ 
oped  in  this  period.  He  knows,  that  during  this  time  cor¬ 
rectness  in  sensual  observation.  Memory,  Comparison,  Im¬ 
agination,  in  short,  the  observing  faculties,  are  the  powers 
to  be  developed.  His  Didactic  and  Zvlethodic  have  told 
liiin  that  these  po\vers  can  only  be  developed  and  exercised 
on  objects  of  the  exterior  world,  always  commencing  with 
the  nearer  and  gradually  introducing  the  more  remote  ob¬ 
jects.  And  in  conformity  with  this  nature  will  be  his 
course,  liis  method,  language,  form-  time  and  means 
of  instruction,  as  xvell  as  his  discipline.  Hence  he  will 
commence  w'ith  them  wnth  the  school  room. — Names  of 
Scholars — parts  of  the  room — objects  of  the  room — Mate¬ 
rial,  color,  form,  number,  and  use  of  these  objects — ac¬ 
tivity  of  the  teacher,  proper  conduct  of  the  schol  ars. — Aim 


uiid  purpose  of  schools. — A  model  story  of  Cliarle}",  avIjo 
learned  something,  and  became  thus  a  useful  member  of 
society,  and  another  one  of  George,  or  ilary,  avIio  was 
naughty,  did  not  learn  anything  and  thus  became  a  dis¬ 
graceful  member  of  society.  The  next  step  is  to  tlio  dwel- 
liim-house.  Here  he  talks  witli  them  in  a  child-like  but 
correct  language  about  the  destination  of  a  dwelling-liousc. 
—-Dwellings  of  animals. — The  apartments  of  the  house,  and 
why. — iS^ecessary  furniture. — Who  made  them. — Furnirur(^ 
of  the  rich  and  of  the  poor. — Moral  story  about  tlio  ricli 
man  who  had  splendid  furniture,  but  was  not  as  hapi>y  as 
as  the  poor  man  who  had  scanty  looking  furniture. — Order 
and  neatness  of  everj'  apartment. — Moral  story  about  Jo¬ 
sephine  who  kept  her  room,  sehool-books  and  dresses  always 
.  neat  and  clean,  and  another  one  who  did  not ;  what  people 
say  of  the  one  and  of  the  other.  The  next  step  is  to  trie 
surroundings  of  the  houses^  — The  street,  the  yard,  the 
play-ground',  the  garden. — Moral  story  about  Willy  who 
was  always  kind  and  polite  to  his  pla^miates,  ^lartin  w;is 
unkind,  rough  and  impolite  towards  them.  The  next  step 
is  to  speak  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  house,  the  family  life. 
—Duties  of  children  toward  their  parents,  etc.,  etc.  Ihit 
YOU  must  excuse  me  from  ^ivino-  the  whole  course  oi  in"- 
struction  for  this  period;  time  uor  space  will  allow  it. 
Dut  what  has  been  said  will  show  to  you  how  the  pi^ofes- 
.sionallv  educated  teacher  thus  will  and  must  succeed,  first, 
in  properly  exercising  the  senses,  in  sharpening  his  observ¬ 
ation,  and  in  forming  a  proper  habit  of  attention;  SECoxn, 
lie  prepares  thus  the  ground  for  clear  thinking.  Tniun,  he 
exercises  Ins  pupils  in  the  first  correct  expression  of  tlieir 
thoughts.  Fofkth,  he  will  extend  and  increase  the  imagi¬ 
nation  with  new  knowledge.  Fifth,  with  those  moral  sto¬ 
ries,  wliicli  lie  often  invents  himself,  he  will  lay  a  solid 
foundation  for  the  true  moral  life  of  his  })Upils.  And, — ■ 
SiXTJi,  he  will  succeed  in  making  the  school  a  phu'(,‘  (  J’ 
pleasure  for  our  little  folks,  as  it  really  should  be.  fu  or¬ 
der  to  prove  that  the  observing  or  perceptive  faculties  of 


26 


the  mind  can  and  must  be  developed  during  this  period, 
on  the  objects  of  the  exterior  world,  there  is  no  instance  on 
record,  which  proves  it  more  forcibly  than  the  story  of 
Casper  Hauser.  As  some  of  you  may  not  be  familiar  with 
his  history  we  will  give  you  a  synopsis  of  it: — 

Casper  Hauser  is  the  spurious  name  of  the  individual  in  question.  He 
Avas,  as  appeared  afterwards,  a  piince  from  the  house  of  Zaehringen.-^ 
(  Baden).  It  is  supposed  tliat  he  was  robbed  by  a  relative  of  a  Duke  of 
Baden,  in  order  to  gain  thus  the  .possession  of  the  throne  for  himself. — 
(  ’asper  Hauser  was  robbed  when  but  little  more  than  a  year  of  age,  and 
was  imprisoned  for  eighteen  long  years  in  a  room,  Avhere  he  could  see 
no  objects  of  the  exterior  world  whatever.  No  fiower,  no  horse,  no  tree, 
nothing  but  the  face  of  bis  brutal  keeper  and  his  food,  were  the  objects 
of  his  sensual  obseiwation,  during  his  entire  imprisonment. 

The  consequence  Avas,  that  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  his  size,  voice  and 
heard  indicated  the  mere  physical  man,  but  his  mental  poAvers  Avere  no 
more  developed  than  those  of  a  child,  simply  because  the  objects  of  the 
exterior  Avorid  were  AAuthheld  from  his  sensual  observation.  He  deA^eloped 
himself  mentallA'  at  the  asre  of  nineteen  exacth^  lie  a  child  of  Ian  o  or  three 
A^ears. 


Now,  there  is  no  doubt,  that  this  unhappy  prince  was 
endowed  bv  nature  phvsicallv  and  mentally  with  the  same 
powers  of  mind  as  any  other  child,  for,  after  he  gained  his 
freedom,  he  developed  himself  at  the  age  of  nineteen  pre* 
ciselv  as  a  child  of  three  or  four  vears,  but  his  senses,  his 
sensual  observation,  his  comparison,  his  imagination,  his 
memory,  were  left  slumbering  in  him,  they  became  not 
exercised,  not  awakened,  strengthened  and  disciplined  on 
the  objects  of  the  exterior  world.  Now  our  children  are 
precisely  such  Caspar*  Hausers,  only  tliey  have  freedom, 
and  cannot  help  but  see,  hear,  feel,  taste,  smell,  to  retain 
in  memory,  and  to  compare,  and  to  imagine,  but  if  these 
actions  in  their  develpoement,  are  left  to  luck  and  chance 
or  become  mutilated,  disfigured,  or  wrongly  guided  by  un¬ 
skilful  teachers,  inexactness  in  obser^'ation,  an  unreliable 
memory,  false  comparison,  an  imperfect  imagination,  and 
particularly  an  inaccuracy  in  narration  and  description,  of 
what  the  child  has  seen,  heard,  thought  or  felt,  will  be  the 
result.  Dr.  Johnson  says,  very  truly,  ‘^Iccustom  your  cliil-' 
dreii  constantly  to  this:  if  a  thing  happened  at  one  window, 
and  they,  when  relating  it,  say  that  it  happened  at  another, 
do  not  let  it  pass,  but  instantly  check  them.  You  do  not 
know,  when  and  where  deviation  from  the  truth  will  end.'’ 


27 


Have  you  never  met  with  such  persons,  who,  if  they 

give  you  a  description  of  an  event  that  happened,  did  it  in 

a  manner  that  you  cannot,  as  the  saying  is,  find  either 

head  nor  tail  to  it  ?  Have  you  never  met  with  mechanics, 

«/  ' 

wdio  honestly  tell  you,  that  you  need  200  feet  of  lumber  to 
a  certain  wcrk,  when  really  you  need  500  of  them  ? — who 
told  you,  that  eight  yards  will  make  a  dress,  when  you 
need  twelve  of  them  ? — who  told  you  that  you  need  apiece 
of  any  thing  twelve  feet  long,  when  you  really  need  a  piece 
of  sixteen  feet  in  length.  Have  you  ever  been  in  court 
Avhere  three  witnesses  honestly  swear  that  a  certain  affair 
liappened  under  such  a  tree,  at  such  a  date,  when  three 
other  witnesses,  equally  honest  swear,  that  it  happened  un¬ 
der  another  tree,  at  another  date  ?  All  such  persons  are 
more  or  less  Caspar  Hausers,  that  is  to  say,  their  power  of 
observation,  their  comparison,  their  memory,  etc.,  have 
not  become  properly  develpped.  But,  how  can  these  be 
developed  if  the  teacher  uses  obscure  language,  if  he  uses 
terms,  or  introduces  topics  far  beyond  the  childish  compre¬ 
hension?  Not  a  very  longtime  ago  I  heard  a  young  lady, 
teaching  a  class  of  children  from  four  to  six  years,  about 
the  difference  of  the  Jewish  and  Christian  Sabbath, — 
a  subject  which  should  not  liave  been  introduced  at  all. — 
But  she  talked,  and  talked  very  lustily  about  the  Mosaic 
laws  and  the  Apostolic  creed,  about  the  seventh  day  of  the 
creation  and  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and  the  more 
she  talked  the  more  the  children  were  kicking  each  other, 
were  pulling  each  other’s  hair,  were  whispering,  and  carri¬ 
ed  on  every  imaginable  kind  of  mischief.  The  result  was, 
that  some  livel}^  little  fellows  were  sent  to  report.  The 
truth  of  it  is,  the  lady  should  have  gone  to  the  principal 
herself,  and  should  have  said,  “Mr.  Principal,  I  do  notun^ 
derstand  how  to  interest,  how  to  occupy,  the  lively  minds 
of  these  boys  and  girls,  and  therefore  they  commit  every 
kind  of  mischief,  please  help  me  for  I  am  rather  a  \veak 
sister.”  Horace  Mann  relates  of  a  teacher  who  said  to  liis 
class :  A  net  w'ork  is  anything  reticulated  or  decussated 


28 


witJi  interstices  between  the  intersections.”  Do  you  belicre 

«/ 

that  the  children  were  wiser  after  tlie  explanation,  than 
])efore?  A  Geography  used  as  a  text-book,  had  on  the 
second  page  these  words  :  ‘‘Zenith  and  nadir,  are  two  Ara- 
])ic  words,  importing  their  own  signification.’^  Now  of 
course,  the  children  knew  very  \vell,  the  meaning  of  these 
terms  !  A  chdd’s  mind  may  be  dark  and  ignorant  before, 
))ut  under  such  exjdanations,  as  these,  ignorance  will  be 
sealed  in  hermetically.  If  this  is  not  as  Milton  says : — 
“Dark  with  excess  of  lieht”  it  is  at  least  “darkness  visible.” 


Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  if  you  wish  to  succeed  in  develo- 

*  t/ 

])ing  these  perceptive  faculties  in  your  younger  pupils,  you 
must  learn  the  art  of  becomhig,  so  to  say,  a  child  with 
your  children,  you  must  enter  into  tlieir  mood  of  thinking, 
you  must  speak  to  them  in  a  childlike,  ^but  nevertheless 
(correct  laimua^e,  and  above  all  thine^s  vou  must  make 
them  feel  that  you  really  love  them,  you  must  in  every- 
thing  but  reading,  Tiiuow  the  text-book  out  through  the 

WINDOW,  AND  GIVE  THEM  THE  LIVING  WORD.  Ill  this  Way 
your  success  will  be  secured,  you  will  gain  their  love  and 
c'uifideiice,  i.  e.,  a  noble  and  deserved  popularity  without 
sacrificing  your  manly  or  womanly  dignity  by  partiality. 

But  however  much  care,  skill,  learning  and  dexterity  the 
professionally  educated  teacher  bestows  on  the  develope- 
ment  of  the  intellectual  powers  of  man,  he  must  never 
for  a  moment  forget,  that  man  is  above  all  things,  a  moral 
being.  And  this  being  called  man,  is,  of  all  the  works  of 
the  Creator,  endowed  with  the  greatesCvariety  offaculties, 
Avith  the  most  complex  and  diversified  constitution.  And 
it  is  in  the  assemblage  of  these  various  powers  and  facul¬ 
ties,  that  his  strength,  his  majesty,  his  superiority  over  the 
animal  creation,  consists.  Cultmite  onesided!}"  only  the 
intellectual  powers,  the  extreme  would  be  a  Napoleon  I,  a 
liousseau,  a  Voltaire.  Develope  the  moral  powers  Avithout 
due  regard  to  the  intellectual  faculties,  a  Phillip  IT,  a  reli- 
ulous  blo;ot,  a  fanatic,  a  hermit,  a  monk  or  mu],  Avill  be  the 
outcome.  But  the  happy  result  of  a  harmonious  de- 


29 


velopement  ot  the  intellectual  and  moral  powers,  will  give 
to  the  world,  a  Frederick  the  Great,  a  Washington,  a  Jef¬ 
ferson,  a  Schiller,  an  Alex,  v,  Humholt. 

Now  these  moral  powers  of  man  are  divided  into  higher 
moral  powers  such  as  Conscience,  Benevolence,  love  of 
truth  and  justice,  friendship,  aflection,  reverence  for  a  Su* 
preme  Being,  etc.,  and,  into  lower  propensities,  sucJi  as 
self-preservation,  sexual  desires,  desires  for  pleasure,  socie¬ 
ty,  rest  appetite,  etc. 

These  latter  propensities  man  has  in  common  with  the 
animal  creation.  That  of  these  two  classes  the  higher 
moral  powers  should  have  the  prerogative  of  supremacy, 
of  absolute  dominion  and  power  in  the  soul  of  man,  is  ev¬ 
ident.  But  also  these  lower,  merely  animal  pro|  ensities, 
have  their  rightful  claims,  and  should  not  be  wholly  sup- 
}U‘essed.  From  these  facts  a  sound  Didactic  will  make  the 
professionally  educated  teacher  acquainted,  why  and  by 
what  means  these  higher  moral  powers  can  be  awakened, 
strengthened,  fostered  and  developed;  as  also,  why  and 
by  what  means  these  merely  animal  pro])ensities  can  and 
should  be  kept  within  the  boundaries  of  social  and  divine 
laws.  For  whenever  these  lower  pro])ensities  gain  su¬ 
premacy  and  mastery  over  the  higher  inoral  ])owers,  thev 
subvert  the  whole  moral  order  of  the  soul,  and  commence 
a  destructive  warfare  first  aii^ainst  the  sovereiirntv  of  con- 
science  within,  and  very  soon  against  the  laws  of  society 
without,  and  the  moral  ruin  of  man  is  complete.  Take  for 
instance,  our  innate  instinct  of  self  preservation.  We  cer- 
taiidy  have  according  to  this  propensity,  a  rightful  desire 
for  acquiring  property,  i.e.  a  desire  to  possess  the  means  ne¬ 
cessary  to  our  existence.  Within  the  bounds  of  social  and 
divine  laws  this  desire  is  praiseworthy  and  should  not  be  sup¬ 
pressed.  If  we  are  within  tliese  bounds  successful,  it  cre¬ 
ates  self-coniidence,  thoughtfulness,  foresight,  industry  and 
frugality.  But  let  this  desire  become  the  all-absorbing 
power  of  a  man,  his  whole  aspiration  from  the  first  dav  of 

January  to  the  last  day  of  December  will  be  for  money, 

^  • 


30 


money,  money.  In  liis  place  of  worship,  in  his  domestic 
circle,  in  liis  society,  his  only  thought  will  be,  what  is  gold, 
and  what  is  not,  what  is  and  what  is  not.  The 

beauties  of  nature  or  art,  he  values  or  despises  in  proportion 
as  they  bring  him  money  or  not.  The  most  ingenious  pro¬ 
ductions  of  science  interest  him  only  if  he  can  turn  them 

1/ 

to  increase  his  property.  What  a  miserable  existenee  this 
is !  And  yet  the  very  foundation  of  such  an  existence  is 
laid  in  early  youth,  when  imprudent  parents,  or  unskilful 
teachers  stimulate  to  action  by  tlie  promise  of  a  few  cents, 
or  some  other  material  gain.  In  this  way  the  desire  for 
gain  is  awakened,  and  if  not  properly  checked,  the  future 
miser,  cheat,  robber,  the  deceiver  of  widows  and  orphans, 
perhaps  a  murderer  for  gains-sake,  stands  before  you  in  its 
embryo  existence.  Such  parents  or  teachers  appeal,  awa¬ 
ken,  strengthen  and  develope, — perhaps  cpiite  unconscious¬ 
ly, — the  animal  propensity  instead  or  appealing  to  the 
liigher  moral  nature  of  man.  The  skillful  teacher  will 
check  this  horrible  desire  not  by  suppressing  it  altogether, 
but  by  awakening  and  strengthening  other  moral  powers, 
as  the  love  for  the  beautiful  in  Nature  or  x4rt;  or  h\  fre- 
quently  placing  for  the  child’s  mind  what  a  sublime  pleasure 
man  may  derive  by  using  his  money  for  the  benefit  of  his 
sufteringfellowman.  He  may  counteract  this  unholy  desire 
for  gain,  by  picturing  in  lively  colors,  the  miserable  exis¬ 
tence  of  the  miser  contrasted  with  the  lofty  standing  point 
of  such  }>hilanthropists  as  Peabody.  On  the  other  hand 
children  very  often  manifest  an  early  carelessness,  an  in- 
difterence  regarding  the  necessary  means  of  subsistence. — 
Those,  the  skillful  teacher  will  stimulate  to  tlie  proper  ac¬ 
tivity,  by  a  lively  illustration,  how  little  it  is  in  harmony 
witli  the  true  dignity  of  man,  to  be  obliged  to  be  a  burden 
to  his  fellow  man.  Or  by  showiiig  how  often  tlie  one  who 
does  not  possess  any  property  at  all,  is  deprived  of  the 
pleasure  ot'  doing  good.  And  so  it  is  with  other  moral 
j)ower.  Onesidedness  is  always  hurtful,  true  happi¬ 
ness  AND  USEFULNESS  IS  THE  OUTCOME  OF  A  HARMONIOUS 


I 


31 


jiEVElopeMent  only.  Take  another  instance:  Our  innate 
love  for  the  beautiful.  Properly,  and  harmoniously  with 
other  tendencies  developed,  it  teaches  us  to  appreciate  tlie 
beauties  of  nature  and  art.  It  makes  us  skillful  in  embeb 
lishing  and  adorning  life.  .  Neglected,  or  too  feebly  devel¬ 
oped,  it  deprives  us  of  the  pleasures,  which  a  boiintitul 
Providence  has  so  kindly  prepared  for  our  enjo^unent  in 
the  charminir  umrks  of  nature. 

Too  strongly  and  onesidedl)’  developed,  it  produces  the 
irood-for-noLhlno:  doll  of  fasliion,  who  knows  onlv  what  is 
fashionable  and  w'hat  is  not.  x4galn.  Precaution  is  another 
ofispring  of  self-preservation.  Properly  and  harmoniously 
developed  it  will  become  our  safeguard  of  honor,  life  and 
property.  Too  feebly  nourished,  it  w’ill  become  the  very 
destroyer  of  life,  honor,  and  property.  But  let  it  become 
the  all-absorbing,  the  only  motive  power  of  man,  we  may 
become  so  extremely  cautions,  that  we  keep  silent,  when 
the  cause  of  righteousness  and  justice  is  in  danger,  i.  e.  Ave 
make  of  ourselves  th<3  most  depiscable  of  all  cowards. — 
Such  men  pretend  to  be  Dk.aiockats,  Avith  Democrats,  and 
play  the  Pepublican  in  republican  company. 

But  we  must  refrain  from  a  more  extended  enumeration 
and  exposition  of  moral  powers.  Those  Avhich  AVe  have 
referred  to  Avill  authorize  us  to  assert,  tlnit  Avithout  a  thor¬ 
ough  knoAvledge  of  the  philosophy  of  education,  no  teac!.- 
er  can  claim  to  be  consciously  able  to  repress  the  onesided 
groAvth  and  developemcnt  of  one  power,  and  to  nourish 
the  feeble  one,  Avith  his  fostering  care,  i.e.,  Avithout  tliis 
science  a  teacher  is  totally  unable,  to  develope,  harmoni¬ 
ously,  the  manifold  poAvers,  the  various  nature  of  niai'.  — 
Now,  Ladies  and  tTentlemen,  in  but  a  fcAV  days,  compara¬ 
tively  speaking,  3uni  Avill  leave  this  Normal  School  Avith  all 
its  pleasant  associations.  You  Avill  be  surrounded  by  a 
greater  or  smaller  number  of  luipiyv  innocent  children, 
Avhose  slumbering  mental  poAvers  aAvait  your  skill  for  their 
awakening,  and  harmonious  developement.  Bear  in  mind 

each  one  of  these  infant  minds  entrusted  to  your  care,  is 
endoAved  Avith  a  number  of  moral  and  intellectual  poAvers 


32 


ni 

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Nvliich  enable  it  to  reacli  tlie  liio-best  extremes  of  irood  or 
evil,  of  virtue  or  of  vice,  of  honor  or  of  shame  !  There 
can  be  no  doubt  about  the  direction  in  which  von  ou^ht 
to  lead  theav.  And  yet  what  do  we  behold  after  the  lapse 
of  a  few  fleeting  years  ?  Some  of  them  will,  by  skillful 
instruction,  liave  become  noble,  useful,  honorable  mem¬ 
bers  of  society :  others  may,  under  the  hand  of  inexperi¬ 
enced  teach.ers,  have  become  a  disgrace  to  their  race. — 
Seme  of  tliem  inay  have  become  noble,  intelligent,  self- 
sacriticing  happy  mothers,  ornaments  of  tlie  most  reflned 
society,  others  may  have  become  mere  fashionab.e  dolls, 
dreamino:  constantlv  about  wommi’s  rights,  without  know- 
ing,  or  even  caring  about  the  flrst  syllable  of  the  true  wo- 

man’s  duties.  Some  others  may  walk  in  the  most  humble 
})ath5  of  life,  but  in  righteousness  and  justice;  others  may 
be  found  in  prison  cells,  expiating  the  most  horrible  crimcsi 
And,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  tins  amazing,  this  wonderful 
change  is  brought  about  according  to  the  very  same  laws 
by  which  the  skillful  gardener  produces  useful  and  orna¬ 
mental  plants, in  tlie  same  jjlace  where  the  unskilled  garde¬ 
ner  produces  only  weeds  and  tliorns.  In  order  to  impress 
you  with  the  great  responsibility  of  the  teacher’s  mission, 
permit  us  to  relate  to  you  an  experience  of  our  life  which 
iiiore  tluni  any  thing  taught  us  what  horrible  consequent 
CCS  iailure  in  our  umrk  may  produce^  We  once  attended 
the  execution  of  a  criminal.  Just  before  the  execution,  he 
ex])ressed  tlie  vrisli  to  sav  a  few  words,  which  was  granted, 
jhadies  and  Gentlemen,  I  see  this  man  yet  with  his  pale 
face,  saying  with  his  quivering  li])S,  in  a  loud  but  lieart- 
rv?nding  voice:  ‘'Aliserable  .Father  !  miserable  mother  !  and 
miserable  teacher  !  if  you  had  not  neglected  my  education 
I  vrould  not  be,  where  I  am.”  You  may  replj' :  This  is  an 
cxti’Gine  case,  lint  let  us  go  about  fortv  miles  west  and 
a.-k  tlie  niifortunate  inmates  of  the  State-prison,  how  many 
'fl*  them  could  tj*ace  their  unhappy  position  there,  back  to 
a  neglected  education  in  youth?  How  many  people  in  in¬ 
ferior  positions,  say  daily:  If  I  had  had  better  teacJiing,  I 
<.'Ould  have  done  much  better.  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  le4 
us  1)0  taught  by  these  examples  how  necessary  it  is  tliat  w^ 

]'re])are  oc.rselves  professionally,  so  that  we  are  able  to  d?^ 
our  whole  liUty  towards  tliose  entrusted  into  our  keeping.  Let  us  becoiiic 
ronseious  worKuieu  upon  the  held  of  Education,  who  need  not  lie  ashani- 
vd  of  their  work. 


